Late at night, deep within the Sperm Whale, I made my way alone to the engine room.
Lucia, Mina, and the others had already drifted off to sleep, leaving me as the sole occupant of the ship’s heart. When the airtight door hissed open, the air hit my nose—a sharp blend of the chilly phosphorescence unique to the Liquid Memory we’d bought at the Oasis and the dry heat radiating from the electronic components. In the center of the room, a hybrid mass of inorganic and organic matter sat enthroned within a black calculation tank. Shaped like a pumpkin, the bio-core pulsed with a steady, rhythmic beat.
As I approached, noise-streaked data slammed across my personal terminal’s window.
—<<CONNECTION>>...<<REMODELING>>...<<COMFORTABLE>>!! —<<GRATITUDE>>...!!
"Yeah. I’m just glad you’re happy, Pumpkin. Sorry to drop in so late, but there's something I wanted to show you."
I reached into the bag I was carrying and pulled out the Pseudo-Onion, the Pseudo-Carrot, and the Pseudo-Potato I’d found at the Freeport, lining them up where the tank’s sensors could easily scan them.
—<<SAMPLE>>...<<SCAN>>...<<...PLANT LIFEFORM>>!!
—<<ANALYSIS>>...<<CURIOSITY>>...<<...AFFINITY>>!!
The messages scrolling across the window were a cocktail of pure curiosity toward these unknown entities and the primal affinity of its plant-based origins.
"These are the ones I found at the Freeport. You recognize them, don’t you?"
The Pumpkin inside the calculation tank flared with a vibrant green light, signaling its intense interest.
"Do you think we can cultivate these on the ship? I’m planning a project to grow all sorts of plants with you at the center. I’ll get proper soil ready eventually, but the sooner we can start, the better."
In response to my proposal, Pumpkin immediately launched into a massive series of simulations. The color of the messages sent over the network shifted from the green of anticipation to a blue that signaled the harshness of the current situation.
—<<CALCULATION>>...<<SIMULATE>>...<<INCONSISTENCY>>
—<<LACK OF SPACE>>...<<NUTRIENT DEFICIENCY>>...<<SUPPLY LINE>>...<<SATURATED>>!!
Pumpkin’s messages laid out the physical constraints one by one. It was effectively a lament of "impossible."
—<<CURRENT PLANT>>...<<ZERO SCALABILITY>>
—<<MULTISPECIES CULTIVATION>>...<<NUTRIENT SALT BALANCE COLLAPSE>>...<<TOTAL FAILURE>>!!
—<<IMPOSSIBLE>>...<<...REGRETTABLE>>!!
"I see. Not enough space or nutrients, then."
My shoulders slumped slightly. Pumpkin was clearly fascinated by the potential for evolutionary growth, but the Sperm Whale’s current facilities were already strained just maintaining a massive bio-core like itself. There was no surplus energy left to adequately nurture three different types of vegetables on top of that.
It looked like I’d have to wait for the professors to finish their work or perform more extensive remodeling myself. Still, considering we’d managed to eat Star Tuna, I figured there had to be a way eventually.
After a moment, the scrolling text took on a powerful glow once more.
—...<<EVOLUTIONARY POTENTIAL>>...—<<EXPECTATION>>...<<PLAN>>...<<ACCEPTED>>!!
"That’s the spirit. It might be impossible for now, but one day, I’ll fill this ship with greenery, with you at the heart of it all. It’ll be the ultimate garden—one where your roots are connected to every single crop."
—<<PROPOSAL>>...<<PROVIDE CONSIDERATION>>...<<ADDITIONAL>>...<<OPTIMIZATION OF STORAGE ENVIRONMENT>>!!
—<<GERMINATION INHIBITION>>...<<TOXIC SUBSTANCE PRODUCTION INHIBITION>>...<<EXECUTE>>!!
It seemed the bio-core was still worried that its current duties weren't enough to cover its "rent." Since we had to postpone the cultivation, it offered to create the perfect storage environment to keep my haul from rotting. By fine-tuning the humidity and gas levels, it would perform Optimization of Storage Environment—ensuring Germination Inhibition for the onions and Toxic Substance Production Inhibition for the potatoes.
That was a huge help. It meant I could store even more ingredients in the freezer without worrying about them spoiling.
"I appreciate it, Pumpkin. I'll leave these samples here for now and bring the rest of the stock down later."
—<<TRANSPORTATION MEANS>>...<<ARRANGEMENT>>...<<EXECUTE>>!!
Along with Pumpkin's thought data, I heard the faint whir of motors in the distance. I’d forgotten—he currently had several of the ship’s drones under his direct control.
"I’ll leave the heavy lifting to you, then. Just like you, these are fragments of life that once took root on some distant world. Maybe they'll help kill the boredom."
—<<ACCEPTED>>...<<OBSERVE>>!!
—<<SLEEP>>...<<RECOMMENDED>>...<<REST>>!!
The pulsation in the calculation tank settled into a calm, gentle rhythm. I left the quiet room, bathed in its soft green light.
Apparently, the first crop ever grown in space was the potato.
I haven't forgotten about Pumpkin!
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